Please help with our trim paint dilemma!

10 years ago

Hi all,

My wife and I just moved into a new house that has beautiful hickory hardwood floors and stained solid wood doors. The problem is that there is not much contrast between the floor, wall color, trim, and doors. Something has to change.

The big dilemma is whether or not to paint the trim. It is nicely stained wood to match the door, but we are considering painting the trim white to provide more contrast and options for wall color. Would it look funny to have white trim next to stained wood door and hickory flooring? We know that once it is painted there is no going back.

Also any suggestions for wall paint color for either situation - white trim or stained trim?

Thank you!

Featured Answer

Elle

10 years ago

I would definitely paint the walls lighter instead of painting the door trim.

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Comments (11)

PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
10 years ago
it won't look funny but that's how stained trim is suppose to be no need for contrast
PRO
WW Design Studio
10 years ago
I think the trim looks fine, maybe beef up the base boards and door trim later on to a wider width. Painting them for contrast will only emphasize the narrowness of the trim. Since you just moved in, painting the wall in a soft grey or a colour with grey undertones will help reduce the warm tones of the wall and wood combined.
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Kristen VH
10 years ago
Change wall color, don't paint the trim! Your wall color is just too close to the same color as your trim. Maybe try a gray if that goes with you're other decor. Your trim is in great shape and isn't a dated style. . painting trim takes forever. We have been painting trim, doors and cabinetry in our house all year. It is an unreal amount of work and so time consuming . Our trim was super 80s and needed to go, but if it had looked as nice as yours I would have let it go.
km kane
10 years ago
I just did that very thing in my new build. My wood guy about had a heart attack as he loves wood so much. He did the floors (oak) doors (alder) and floor trim (alder). Then when we told him we wanted to just use MDF for the door and window trim to break up all the wood, he almost cried! But we LOVE it. We searched on HOUZZ for "wood door painted trim" and loved what we saw. If you end up not liking it, you can always remove it and go back to wood. Or as I did in my 1917 Craftsman, have the paint stripped and the wood restored back to its original.
km kane
10 years ago
And now that I look at the trim again, I say more emphatically yes, paint it! It's not as if it's some fancy turned wood, it's just plain flat, skinny pieces. And if one more person suggests painting "a soft gray", I'm gonna scream!
abb_ann
10 years ago
Paint the walls- white
suezbell
10 years ago
Leave the natural wood look door trim and repaint all the walls a color that will create enough of the contrast you want -- but not so much contrast that you make the door and trim the focal point of the rooms.

The simple lines of the trim is part of its beauty. Remember that anything that is painted eventually needs repainting.

The papaya color -- tan without the pink or yellow hue -- would work well.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/bd/ee/c8/bdeec8250cdf99c0ceeea866164dee4b.jpg

There is a "river stone" color that is an off white without any pink or yellow hue that doesn't look gray that would work well to create contrast far better than a stark white.

http://www.mccormickpaints.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/006-River-Stone.jpg
Nick Questad
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks all for the thoughts. This is such a great resource for ideas! I think we are going to start with just painting the walls a lighter color off white or gray. We can always paint the trim later or I like the idea of saving for a fancier trim design later down the road.
PRO
WW Design Studio
10 years ago
Please update with after pictures. Love to see what you did.
Lee Lacey
10 years ago
Glad you are starting with the walls! The trim and flooring are gorgeous.

was also going to suggest some rugs to perk up the hallway if you want to add some more color.

The flooring has a lot of movement with the different wood tones so a neutral wall color, even white/off-white would look great. Add a colorful rug and some artwork and the hallway will be transformed!

Good luck!